Delaware was not always a gambling mecca and its progress in that industry has been slow and gradual ever since it became a state in 1787. In the beginning, they were known for their various horse racing tracks but thanks to the eventual additions of lottery and bingo games the gambling industry became the fourth largest source of revenue in the state.
Once the early 1900s rolled around, Delaware was making a huge amount of money off of horse racing, to the tune of 20 million dollars per year thanks to the residents’ love for gambling. They began adding new racing facilities made by the famous horse track designer William DuPont Jr. and held extravagant month-long competitions.
Almost a century later, Delaware kept the momentum going by becoming the first state to legalize internet gambling in 2012 and several other states soon joined them such as Pennsylvania, Nevada, and New Jersey. This law change caused a number of online gambling sites to appear, including some Delaware sponsored online casinos. Throughout this article, we will investigate the various features of the online casinos that have been legalized and regulated by the state of Delaware to give you a better idea of what they have to offer their customers.
Online Casinos in Delaware Today
Even though Delaware was the first state to offer legalized online casinos, there are still only three in existence nearly a decade later. Each of the three online casinos offered here are partnered with a brick-and-mortar casino located in the state of Delaware.
The currently available listing of online casinos in Delaware is as follows:
–Dover Downs Online Casino Delaware
–Harrington Online Casino Delaware
–Delaware Park Online Casino Delaware
Licenses Granted
All of the online casinos that are based out of Delaware are licensed to operate by the Delaware State Lottery. These sites are all perfectly legal for you to play on as long as you are physically located within the state borders of Delaware.
In order for an online gambling site to receive a Delaware Gambling License from the Delaware State Lottery, they must prove that they are financially independent and run their business with integrity. If a site is lacking in one of these areas, the Delaware State Lottery will provide them with a checklist of improvements that they need to make. This is not a cheap or easy process to complete so you can be confident that any online casino that has a Delaware Gambling License is the real deal.
Location Monitored by GPS
Just like in all other states that have legalized online gambling, Delaware’s online casinos use GPS to track each player’s location to make sure that they are following the rules. Because of this feature, it is not possible to log-in to your account and participate in any casino games unless you are physically located within the state borders of Delaware (You do not have to live in Delaware to play).
Even though the GPS monitoring will prevent you from participating in the games if you are located outside of state lines, you will still be able to create an account or initiate banking transactions. There is no way around your location being tracked by GPS and if you choose to attempt to use a VPN to access you are account you are risking having your account banned and all of your money confiscated. If you are uncomfortable with a site monitoring your location at all times then you probably do not want to join a legalized online casino.
Commonly Used Banking Methods
Most states that have legalized online gambling offer both electronic banking methods as well as cash transactions for their players. However, online casinos in Delaware only offer electronic banking options but this should not be a big deal if you have a bank account.
The most common deposit methods that you will find in the three Delaware online casinos are Visa Card, MasterCard, and ACH E-Check. This short list of deposit methods will load your account with funds instantly and securely.
The most common methods of withdrawing funds at Delaware online casinos are Neteller and ACH E-Check. Before you will be allowed to complete a withdrawal from any of these casinos you will need to provide proof of address, proof that you have a bank account, and proof of your identity.
Mobile Online Casino Applications Available
All three online casinos that serve the Delaware area offer a mobile app that will give you access to the various features of their site. The apps can only be used to play casino games if you are located inside the borders of the state of Delaware. However, if you are located outside of state lines you will still be able to use the mobile apps to create an account or initiate banking transactions.
The mobile apps for all of these Delaware sites are downloadable with both an Android device or an iOS device such as an iPad or iPhone. The iOS-compatible apps can be found in the App Store by searching for the casino name. The Android-compatible apps will need to be downloaded through your web browser on the online casino’s website by clicking on the green and black “Download for Android” button.
Live Dealer Online Casino Games
Unfortunately, there are no live dealer games available on any of the legalized Delaware online casinos. This puts Delaware online casinos at a disadvantage since most online casinos offer live dealer games whether they are regulated sites or not.
Players who really want to participate in live dealer games so that they feel like they are playing in a land-based casino atmosphere should consider driving up to New Jersey since they have numerous online casinos that offer this type of game. However, if you do decide to make the trip to New Jersey you should know that you will need to make the drive up there every time you want to play in these games since they will not be available once you cross state lines.